Spotlight

Bloomberg leading new push for immigration reform

Friday, May 5, 2017

With the White House issuing contentious travel bans that fail to meet legal muster, tech companies rallying to protect their workers, and a showdown with Mexico looming over the promised border wall, immigration remains a hot-button issue.

Undeterred by the negative climate, a pro-reform initiative has been launched by Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, and his advocacy group, The Partnership for a New American Economy. They are trying to rally public support for a comprehensive overhaul of current immigration policies.

Jeremy Robbins, executive director of the Partnership, told Politco, "Immigration is top of the agenda politically, but the national discussion often bears little resemblance to the facts on the ground. In community after community and industry after industry, immigration is helping America and American workers."

To gather support for their reform initiative, Bloomberg and his group recruited several prominent lawmakers, from both sides of the aisle, to headline pro-immigration events across the United States during the recent Congressional recess. These events included farm tours, round tables, and town halls, and offered new data, assembled by the Partnership for a New American Economy, about the impact that immigration has had in each Congressional district and state, as well as in the country's 60 largest cities.

About 100 events were held nationwide during this year’s first Congressional recess, primarily in conservative and swing districts and states, according to the group. Several local farm bureaus and chambers of commerce also participated in getting out the message on the importance of immigration to local and regional economies.